238 Years and Counting

In the past eight days, I’ve driven over 900 miles, visited with dear friends and family members, played beach volleyball (on an actual beach), given an entire announcement wearing a pink mustache, let my dog roll in the grass after his bath, worn a tank top one day and a sweatshirt the next, bought train tickets, spent a day at a water park,  ordered obnoxiously bright green t-shirts, and began an online class…

…Just because I can. All of those things are perfectly permissible and legal to do (although the pink mustache is debatable) and though my friends might think I’m crazy,* I’m still within my legal rights as a citizen.

Sweet Land of Liberty

That’s what we celebrate tomorrow, July 4. This year marks America’s 238th year of existence, a relatively young nation compared to its worldwide peers. I’m thankful to be living in this country. While we’re not perfect, and though I have concerns for the future, I am unduly privileged to be living here right now.

I have no desire to make this post a soapbox stand, patriotic preaching, or a declaration of everlasting love for my country (though perhaps my last post would qualify as such a diatribe) thus eliciting a collective eye roll from my readers.

But I do want to issue a clarion call to any and all Americans to think about what it means to live here. Thank someone who has fought physical and mental battles for you to live here. Tweet about your constitutional right to tweet. Wear an American flag t-shirt. Sing the national anthem. Play baseball. Eat burgers and apple pie. And if you don’t exhibit national loyalty on any other day of the year, please do it tomorrow. It’s okay to be patriotic. It’s not stupid, hokey, or offensive. It’s only appropriate to wear a party hat to a birthday party. Be patriotic. This is America. You have that freedom.

Tomorrow is July 4. 

Be Free.
Be Thankful.
Be American.

*I know, I’m weird. I’m okay with that.